I think for price, variety of machines, and dependability go with Janome. I have two a 6600 and 3500 and love and use both. The features i would look for are the automatic needle up and down, and thread cutter. The 3500 doesn't have the tread cutter but there are quite a few machines in your price range that have in the Janome Brand. Your grandmother should be a big help in makeing your decision. Good luck and happy sewing.